In farming, particularly in the field of industrialization and marketing of grains, it is common to store harvested grains in silos or depots before shipping to an intermediate destination (a port, for example) or to an end destination (a food processing facility). Storage times are pretty variable and dependent on different circumstances and may range from just a few days to several weeks or even months. Whatever the storage time, it is crucial that the quality of the grain be preserved so as not to spoil or ruin the food end-product manufactured therefrom.
Silos generally store large tonnages of grain and are likely places for radicating moisture because of the way it is stored in bulk therein. The grain already brings along a significant degree of moisture from the harvest, however it is desirable to store it as dry as possible for it to preserve. For this reason, big silos are equipped with means for airing the grains and keeping them in good and dry conditions, eliminating the moisture carried over from the harvest and protecting the grains at the storage site from moisture in the surrounding environment. Such means use fans for generating air currents, which are operated when the depot is full or partly full both for airing as well as to assist in discharging the grain by injecting air in the direction it is to be conveyed.